Algeria’s gas supply to Italy might be increased by 4 billion cubic meters per year

Algeria is anticipated to provide Italy with an additional 4 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year at the most.

On Monday, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi will visit Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune in Algiers to discuss energy and bilateral ties. In 2021, Algeria exported 21.2 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Italy.

“Tomorrow morning I will be with President Draghi in Algeria to sign a gas agreement that will allow us to face any Russian blackmail on gas. Unfortunately, we are late as a country, we had to diversify much earlier but we have many partners and friends around the world “, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luigi Di Maio, responding to reporters in Maddaloni (Caserta), where he visited the Children’s Village, a historic school, where he awarded the Red Cross.

“In the last month and a half I have been in Algeria, Qatar, Congo, Angola, Mozambique, Azerbijan: all these countries have expressed their willingness to increase supplies to Italy”, he added.

Italy is heavily dependent on other countries for energy, in particular on Russia which now requires payment in rubles. Gas consumption in the country is very high. But renewable energies are also growing. The country imports about 77% of its national needs, and Russia is the first country on which Italy depends to satisfy its consumption of fossil fuels (gas, oil, and coal). Vladimir Putin signed a decree that from April 1 imposes the payment of gas in rubles for hostile countries (including Italy), in response to the sanctions imposed by the West.